Until less than a month ago, senior quarterback Tom Stewart was not even starting for Harvard. A mere four weeks later, he has etched his name into the Crimson’s record books after turning in a five-touchdown performance this past Saturday in a 52-18 win over Columbia. The Dallas native overcame inclement conditions to tie the touchdown record set in 1953 by Carroll Lowenstein ’54 and matched in 2011 by Collier Winters ’12 and Colton Chapple ’13.

It was apt that Stewart’s best performance came on senior day. He managed to throw for an astounding 393 yards despite completing just 15 passes. Among those completions were the three longest touchdown passes in program history: a beautiful 92-yard strike to junior receiver Jack Cook on the first play of the game, a 75-yard pass under pressure to sophomore receiver Tyler Adams, and a 74-yard lofted pass to sophomore running back Aaron Shampklin.

All three touchdowns came during Harvard’s dominant opening quarter, after which Stewart had already racked up 251 yards passing. The Texan later slung two touchdown passes to fellow senior Henry Taylor, who racked up 105 receiving yards in addition to the two scores.

Stewart had tallied 342 passing yards by halftime and had a chance to target the all-time mark of 448 (Chapple, 2011), but the wind put a damper on the passing game after the break. Nevertheless, the senior signal caller looked comfortable and confident throughout for the Crimson.

Stewart’s commanding performance came after back-to-back weeks in which Harvard (4-4, 2-3 Ivy League) lost close games to nationally ranked Ivy League stalwarts Princeton (8-0, 5-0) and Dartmouth (7-1, 4-1). In seven games (four starts), the Crimson quarterback has now thrown for 11 touchdowns without a single interception.

The senior is making his chance to quarterback Harvard count. He had thrown just 51 career passes before this season, all of which came in his sophomore season.

The Lions (1-4, 4-4) improved after being blitzed in the first quarter, but they were never able to make a dent in the deficit, as the Crimson scored at least a touchdown in each quarter to stay comfortably ahead. In the end, Harvard racked up 496 yards of total offense en route to just its second victory since Sept. 21st.

It would be very tough for Stewart to top his senior day performance, but he will look to maintain his exceptional play and the Crimson’s winning ways at Penn (3-2, 6-2) on Saturday and then against Yale (3-2, 5-3) at Fenway Park. With consecutive wins, Harvard would finish back above .500 after a rare 5-5 season in 2017.

The Harvard football team added another weapon to its receiving corps this past weekend with Tyler Adams’ impressive performance against Holy Cross, part of a game in which the Crimson emerged victorious with a last-second field goal. Adams, a sophomore wide receiver from Louisville, Ohio, saw very little in-game action prior to last weekend’s contest. Only having one career reception prior to facing the Crusaders (1-6, 0-2 Patriot) — a catch for seven yards against San Diego this year — Adams was looking for a chance to showcase his abilities. With the absence of senior wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley, he seized that opportunity.

Adams’ career night began in the second quarter when he caught a 31-yard pass from senior quarterback Tom Stewart. He would go on to finish the half with another catch for ten yards along with a 19-yard run.

However, Adams’s second half performance was what cemented the fate of the game. Harvard’s sole touchdown in the third quarter came from a 28-yard snag by Adams, driving the lead up to 16 going into the fourth.

Holy Cross’ massive comeback in the final quarter of the game put the Crimson (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) in its first deficit all night. Harvard, facing a fourth down in the final drive of the game, desperately needed someone to make a play. With the game on the line, Stewart decided to place his trust in Adams once again. And following the theme of the night, Adams made the catch, moving the chains and keeping the game alive.

But perhaps the biggest play of the game came after the fourth down conversion. Adams’ biggest catch of the night came a play later, as he snagged a 30-yard pass while facing double coverage, drawing a flag for pass interference in the process. The catch set the team in prime field goal position with seconds to go in the game. A play and a couple of timeouts later, junior kicker Jake McIntyre sealed the deal with a 25-yard field goal.

Adams finished the game with seven reception for 84 yards, a receiving touchdown, and 33 rushing yards. His performance on Friday was pivotal in the Crimson’s victory. With a win over the Crusaders, Harvard was able to put an end to its two-game losing streak. The Crimson is hosting Princeton this Saturday at noon, looking to start a winning streak of its own going into the second half of the season. After seizing his chance last week, Adams looks to play a bigger role among a talented group of receivers.

In the midst of perhaps the best stretch of his football career, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 has been lighting up the NFL. In the first three games of the season, he put up 1,230 yards, 13 touchdown passes, and only four interceptions. (In week four, his hot streak wore off as he only completed 50 percent of his passes and threw an interception, leading the Bucs to sub in Jameis Winston for the second half.) Even though Fitzpatrick has been carrying the Harvard football mantle, there are eight more Harvard players currently on NFL rosters or practice squads, making Harvard the FCS school with the most active NFL players (Delaware, Illinois State, James Madison, and North Dakota State tie for second in this category with six players apiece). Playing alongside Fitzpatrick is Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate ’14.  Brate struggled in the first two games of the season but came out strong in week three, connecting with Ryan Fitzpatrick for an all-Harvard touchdown.

Outside of Tampa, Harvard tight ends have also found NFL homes.  Ben Braunecker ’16 earned a roster spot with the Chicago Bears, marking his third season with the team, and Anthony Firkser ’17 will be playing for the Tennessee Titans. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk ’13 of the San Francisco 49ers and long snapper Tyler Ott ’14 of the Seattle Seahawks also played tight end at Harvard but have since converted to different positions in the NFL, although Ott also appeared as a long snapper with the Crimson. In the last two seasons, Juszczyk has made a name for himself with consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. To start off the 2018 campaign, he continued his dynamic play with a 56-yard reception to complement his blocking prowess.  

The last three active Crimson NFL players, Nick Easton ’15, Adam Redmond ’16, and Cole Toner ’16, play on the offensive line for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively. Easton had established himself as a starter for the Vikings but unfortunately suffered a neck injury before the start of the season, landing him on injured reserve. Interestingly, no Harvard alumni play defense, and outside of Fitzpatrick at quarterback, the other eight players occupy blocking-heavy positions.

Kyle Juszczyk ’13 is headed back to the NFL’s Pro Bowl. This time, the former Crimson and current San Francisco 49er has earned a spot as the NFC’s starting fullback.

Juszczyk appeared in his first pro bowl last season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. In that game, the fullback caught five passes for 43 yards as part of the AFC squad’s 20-13 victory. He also tacked on eight rushing yards on three handoffs.

After four seasons with the Ravens, Juszczyk headed to the Bay Area this offseason to join the 49ers on what could end up being a four year deal, depending on team options.

In his first season with San Francisco, the fullback has caught 24 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown to go along with 31 rushing yards. Juszczyk has appeared in 12 games this year, nine of which he started. He is also nearing 1000 career receiving yards, as he has racked up 989 over the course of nearly five years.

Before joining the professional ranks, Juszczyk was a two-time All-American at the tight end/halfback position in coach Tim Murphy’s offense. He also garnered three All-Ivy League selections while at Harvard.

Juszczyk is the Crimson’s all-time leader among tight ends in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdown receptions. His career marks of 1,576 receiving yards, 125 catches, and 22 receiving touchdowns rank seventh, sixth, and third all-time, respectively, among all Harvard players.

The only other Harvard football alumnus to appear in multiple Pro Bowls is Matt Birk ’98. Birk, who earned six Pro Bowl selections, played 14 seasons as a center for the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens.

Juszczyk is one of over 30 former Harvard football players to play in the NFL. Currently, he is joined by Cam Brate, Nick Easton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Tyler Ott.

The Pro Bowl, the NFL’s yearly All-Star game, will be played on Jan. 28 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

—Staff writer Jack Stockless can be reached at jack.stockless@thecrimson.com.

To say that that the 2017 Ivy League Football season has not gone according to plan would be an understatement. Many pundits picked Cornell and Columbia to finish in the bottom of the league, but four games into conference play, the Empire State colleges find themselves tied for first with Yale. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses Harvard, Princeton, and Penn find themselves in the middle and bottom half of the standings. With three weeks remaining, and with no tiebreaker for league champions, the Ancient Eight football title race is wide open, with seven of the eight teams still in contention.

BROWN

Unfortunately for the Bears, their 0-4 league record has eliminated them from contention. But make no mistake—Brown still has an opportunity to have a say in the championship. With games against Yale in New Haven, Conn., Dartmouth at Fenway Park, and on the road at Columbia, the Bears can play spoiler down the stretch.

COLUMBIA

The Cinderella story of the 2017 season, Columbia is off to its hottest start since 1996. The Lions lost their first league game of the season against Yale on Saturday afternoon. This result narrowed Columbia’s margin of error as the team seeks its first league title since 1961, and only its second Ivy League championship. At 3-1, the Lions still control their own destiny, but huge matchups against Harvard and at Cornell loom ahead. Fortunately for the Lions, their final game of the season comes at home against cellar-dwelling Brown, giving Columbia arguably the most straightforward path to the championship.

CORNELL

After opening the season with a 49-24 loss at Yale, the Big Red rebounded, winning games against heavily favored Harvard, and Brown. A game-winning field goal in the dying seconds of Saturday night’s tilt at Princeton lifted Cornell to a shocking 3-1 league record and a share of first place, one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 season. With a date against Columbia in Ithaca looming two weeks out, the Big Red has control of its own fate. Winning out would mean at least a shared Ancient Eight crown, the program’s first since 1990.

DARTMOUTH

The Big Green opened the season with two nail-biting wins over Penn and Yale and appeared primed for a run at the hardware. Unfortunately for Dartmouth, one-possession losses to Columbia and at Harvard have left the team in the middle of the Ivy League pack at 2-2. Like Princeton, the Big Green will have to win out and hope for a Lions loss. However, with two of its three games at home, and the third on the road at Brown, Dartmouth remains in the hunt.

HARVARD

A 52-17 home loss against Princeton two weeks ago deflated title hopes for the Crimson, but a 25-22 comeback against Dartmouth kept Harvard in the race for a share of its fourth championship in five years. The Crimson has a must-win matchup Saturday in New York City against Columbia. A win against the upstart Lions, followed by a victory over Penn, would keep Harvard’s title hopes alive entering the final weekend of the season. If Cornell were to lose a game to the Big Green, the Quakers, or Columbia, the Crimson would ride into New Haven with an opportunity to beat Yale to earn a share of the championship.

PENN

Home losses against Dartmouth and Yale, combined with a heartbreaking overtime defeat at Columbia, have stacked the deck against the one-win Quakers. Penn’s bumpy start to 2017 contrasts with recent years, as the Quakers have shared the title in the last two seasons. Technically, Penn can still earn part of the crown, but that situation would involve some ridiculous events, most notably Brown winning out. More likely, the Quakers will have an opportunity to affect the race by playing spoiler against Princeton and Cornell at home and Harvard on the road.

PRINCETON

Princeton’s 52-17 win at Harvard two weeks ago appeared to poise the Tigers for a run at the championship. Last Saturday night, however, a heartbreaking 29-28 loss at home against Cornell left Princeton at 2-2. The Tigers’ road to a share of the title would likely require a 3-0 finish against Penn, Yale, and Dartmouth, supplemented with a Columbia loss.

YALE

A 28-27 road loss at Dartmouth is all that separates the Bulldogs from a 4-0 record. However, the Bulldogs rose to the occasion last week, soundly beating previously undefeated Columbia. Tied atop the standings at 3-1, wins against Brown and Princeton would set up a Harvard-Yale game with serious implications. If Yale were to defeat the Crimson in the 134th edition of The Game, the Elis would then secure a piece of the title. Yale last earned a share in 2006.